Course Syllabus
NOTE: Some links in this syllabus page may only be accessible to currently enrolled students.
Welcome to Mobile Software Development
Computing power is everywhere, even in the palms of our hands, in the form of "smart phones." In this course, you will learn the fundamentals of cross-platform mobile application development using Android, via state-of-the-art curriculum created by Google. You'll explore how to use the Android SDK utilizing Jetpack Compose and the Kotlin programming language to create compelling mobile applications that run on any Android device.
For more information on the course, as well as how to best navigate the many helpful resources provided, please watch the videos on the Front Page.
Your Instructional Team
Instructor:
Randy Scovil (randy.scovil@oregonstate.edu)
Hey there, I'm Randy Scovil and I will be your instructor tonight (and all quarter) for CS 492 - Mobile Software Development. This is a very rewarding course that I'm very familiar with and I think you'll find it very valuable!
I joined the Ecampus program a couple years ago but I am not new to teaching. I have been teaching Computer Science in any/all modalities for over 25 years. I've taught a variety of courses for majors, support courses, GE - you name it. I do have to say that this one of my favorites though so I'm pretty excited that they gave me this course!
I've also worked with many students who were preparing to transfer or just had, so I definitely understand that point of view (plus I transferred a couple times during my college years and changed majors.) I've taught at a university as well as a couple community colleges so I have been fortunate to work with students from a wide range of backgrounds but with common objectives.
I have a M.S. in Computer Science from Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) where I started my teaching career as a graduate student. I also have a B.A. in Telecommunications and Film from San Diego State University with a minor in History (I switched from a CS major but returned to it in grad school.)
I also spent many years in the broadcast industry, primarily working in music (rock and alternative) and sports radio. I was very involved in programming and marketing stations in addition to my on-air work. I also did radio play-by-play for Cal Poly for many years (that and teaching paid for grad school.)
Therefore it's no surprise that I really enjoy music and sports. I'm looking forward to adopting the Beavers as my latest team! My radio work gave me the opportunity to travel and live across the country, and I also enjoy traveling internationally (that's me on Omaha Beach on a rather windy day - I did not wade ashore.) So wherever you may be, I may have been there.
This course really is always enjoyable to teach because it's challenging, and things are ever-changing. I've been teaching Android, iOS, and/or Flutter since 2010 and things are definitely different (for the better) from a developer perspective. There's a lot to learn - a new platform, and a new programming language. This is a very desirable skill set and I enjoy seeing what former students are doing with it in their careers!
Note: Some links on this page may only be accessible to registered students.
Ed Discussion Board
Ed Discussion is the best place to get help with course-related questions.
Office Hours - MS Teams
Links to an external site. is where to look for real-time help from peers and the instructional team.
- The official MS Teams workspace name is:
CS_492_40X_U2023
CoE Peer Tutoring
Schedule free personalized tutoring with our College of Engineering student tutors. You can get more information and make an appointment here: CoE Peer Tutoring (also linked in the navigation panel on the left).
Course Resources
The "textbook" for this course is the Android Basics with Compose curriculum from Google. (No registration or cost is required.) Additional reading and learning materials are provided via Canvas.
Instructor Contact Information
- Office Hours Information
The Instructor will hold fixed weekly office hours. Office hours are held via the official MS Teams channel
Links to an external site. (Office Hours). The contact and office hours information of the Instructor are provided as follows -
-
- Randy Scovil (randy.scovil@oregonstate.edu) Office hours: Tuesdays/Wednesdays 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST
- Randy Scovil (randy.scovil@oregonstate.edu) Office hours: Tuesdays/Wednesdays 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST
- Communication Policy
- Please post all course-related questions in the Ed Discussion forum so that the whole class may benefit from your conversation. Not all posts require a reply from the instructor/TA, and often it is better for students to hash out an answer to a question.
- Office hours will be held online through Microsoft Teams. You can use an app (desktop/mobile), or click https://teams.microsoft.com/. You do not need to do anything to join, you are automagically enrolled and can participate via app or browser.
- If you wish to use the link on the left side, you may need to adjust your browser settings. If the team does not appear after clicking that link, visit this link or use one of the apps (desktop/mobile) instead.
- Please email your instructor only for matters of a personal or private (grading) nature. The instructor or a TA will reply to most course-related questions within 48 hours, though this may vary on weekends. (Please use email, not Canvas Messaging).
- Any email sent to the instructor about this course must originate with an OSU supplied email account and contain the tag [CS492] at the beginning of the subject. Failure to comply with this will result in a delayed (or possibly nonexistent) response to your email.
- Please post all course-related questions in the Ed Discussion forum so that the whole class may benefit from your conversation. Not all posts require a reply from the instructor/TA, and often it is better for students to hash out an answer to a question.
ULA Contact and Office Hours Information
The ULAs will hold fixed weekly office hours . Office hours are held via the official MS Teams channel (Office Hours).
The office hours of the ULAs are as follows:
Listing by Day (all times U.S. Pacific Time, UTC-08:00):
| Day | Office Hour Time and Person |
|---|---|
| Monday | 3:00 PM-5:00 PM Mahesh Narpat Chand |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM-12:00 PM Randy Scovil 3:00 PM-5:00 PM Mahesh Narpat Chand |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM-12:00 PM Randy Scovil |
| Thursday | 9:30 AM-11:30 AM Subramanya Keshavamurthy |
| Friday | 9:30 AM-11:30 AM Subramanya Keshavamurthy |
*** NO OFFICE HOURS ON SCHOOL HOLIDAYS (including weekends where applicable) ***
This schedule may be adjusted during the term to adjust for demand, or lack thereof.
The College of Engineering (COE) offers a variety of academic support resources for students. There are remote tutoring services available through the COE by appointment and drop-in. There are also tutoring services available through the College of Science. More information about these and other academic support services can be found on the COE’s Academic Support website.
For writing assistance, the Oregon State Online Writing Suite is a great resource for students enrolled in Ecampus courses. If you have additional tutoring needs, or have questions about these services, please contact Casey Patterson at casey.patterson@oregonstate.edu .
Note: Some links on this page may only be accessible to registered students.
Take the Syllabus Quiz.
Download Android Studio: https://developer.android.com/studio
Communication Policy
Grading or Regrading
We will attempt to grade the assignments within 7 days of the due date. For questions related to grading or regrading please directly email the TA who graded your assignment. TAs are assigned to grade assignments based on student last names as follows:
| Student's last name | Grader |
| A -> Levins | Mahesh |
| Loftus -> Z | Subramanya |
You can request a regrade on an assignment by contacting your grader within 48 hours of receiving your grade by writing a message in the assignment's page in Canvas. Include what points were taken off and why you feel your assignment/project does in fact meet the requirements you were penalized for not meeting.
When requesting a regrade the grade will NEVER be lower than when you made the request, unless we discover a case of academic dishonesty during the regrade. We will not lower a grade for finding something else wrong. That said, please note that while reviewing your request we discover we made a mistake in taking points but also made a mistake in not deducting points it is possible your grade will remain the same.
Assignment Extensions, Escalated Grading Questions & General Course Info
For Assignment extensions, escalated grading questions, and other general course information, please email the instructor.
Assignments & Course Content
Ask questions about assignments and course content, on the Ed Discussion Board (do not send direct messages to myself or the TAs outside of Office Hours) in order to help make these questions and answers available to everyone. You will also get an answer to your question far faster by posting in the Ed Discussion Board than by emailing or sending a private message, as there are more than a hundred people looking at those discussion boards.
Personal Questions
For personal questions, you can email the instructor from your OSU email account or via private posts on the Ed Discussion board for the instructor.
Office Hours & Real-Time Communication
We will conduct office hours using Microsoft Teams using the Team created for this course. The times for office hours are listed on the "Where to go for Help?" tab.
Remember, use Office Hours/Teams for real-time questions and Ed Discussion to post discussion questions.
Emails
If you email me, use your OSU email account. You must put CS492 in the subject line, or else I may miss it. Please do not email the TAs or contact them via Teams outside of their Office Hours.
Response Time
We will strive to respond to email and Ed Discussion posts within two business days. We will aim to have the assignments graded within 7 days of the due date. Please note that we may not be accessible over the weekend and on holidays.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|